


In the Margins

by LeChatRouge673



Series: Thea's Song [35]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Modern AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:53:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205976
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeChatRouge673/pseuds/LeChatRouge673
Summary: Prompted fic requested by @lavellanlove on tumblr.
Relationships: Female Cousland/Nathaniel Howe
Series: Thea's Song [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/890931
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	In the Margins

“Wildflower? Cat?”

Cat looked up from her computer, her eyes blinking back into focus. Nathaniel stood in the doorway to their home office, leaning against the door frame with a look of gentle concern in his eyes and a steaming cup of tea in his hands. “As much as I enjoy the silent treatment, I was not aware I had done anything to deserve it,” he teased softly.

She briefly rubbed her forehead. “I am sorry, Nate. This trade agreement has got me seeing cross-eyed. It rather figures this one would come in while Thea was on vacation. How long have you been standing there trying to catch my attention?”

“Only a few minutes,” he reassured her. “And as brilliant as your cousin is, I think you are selling yourself short, my love,” Nathaniel reassured her as he came over, setting the cup of tea he had made her on her desk before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “You have got this.”

Cat laughed. “Oh, I know I _can_ figure it out. And I will. It is just one of those things I wish I could ramble about for a bit? Get all my thoughts out there?”

“Well,” Nathaniel said, pulling his own desk chair closer, “I admit I am no expert, but if you simply need a sympathetic ear and the occasional uninformed inquiry, I would be happy to sit and let you talk it out.”

“You mean it?”

Nathaniel gave a quiet chuckle. “Of course I do, Wildflower.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Go for it.”

So Cat started talking. And she simply kept going, and before she knew it half an hour had passed while Nathaniel simply sat there listening intently, interjecting with the occasional question to clarify a point she had made. When she finally stopped, he offered her a small smile.

“See, this is why you should not go silent on me: when you finally do start talking again, you can’t stop.”

Despite herself, Cat giggled. “Fair enough,” she conceded. “And I truly am grateful for the sounding board. I have not completely puzzled out what I want to do next, but it has provided some clarity as to what _steps_ I want to take next.”

He nodded thoughtfully. “That’s something, at least. However, I was hoping I might be able to persuade you to take those steps tomorrow, and maybe consider instead stepping out with me tonight.” When she made a small noise of protest, he stood up and held his hands out to her and she accepted the gesture. “Cat, it’s been over a week since we last went out. Not since Thea and Loghain went back to Gwaren. It would be good for _both_ of us to get out for a little bit, and _especially_ for you.”

She sighed. “I don’t know, Nate. I really ought to get some more work done on this…”

“It is up to you, Wildflower,” he shrugged. “But remember what you always used to say to me when _I_ was trying to break my workaholic patterns?”

“‘Life is not lived in the margins’” she recited, a wry smile tilting at her lips. “It works better for you, you know, since you are actually a writer.”

“Says the woman who is agonizing over a novel of a trade contract,” Nathaniel retorted, gently pulling her up and away from her desk, and Cat found herself not even bothering to resist. “C’mon, Cat. Let’s go out, get a drink, maybe several, then come home and watch a movie.”

Cat’s smiled widened slightly, her fingers raking lightly over his chest as she stepped out of the office and towards their bedroom.

“Well… as much of the movie as we ever get through before we find other ways to entertain ourselves.”


End file.
